Let’s be real. As of the end of January, 2020, there are 291 videos in the Complete Dawnbreakers’ Saga playlist. Which, honestly, when I started out back in 2017, I didn’t think I’d get this far. The last time I did a recap was back on video 180, which was at the end of the collective “Chapter 03.” It’s been a while.
In that light, I figured I’d start doing monthly recap posts so that you (and I, honestly) can reference where we’ve been. I realized it takes like four weeks to see some characters again and in the between time, it’s pretty easy to lose the plot. SO! Since this is the first post, I’m going to start from the last recap episode and give a brief rundown of notable events, with video links. Skip to the end if you want to see just the January recap!
WARNING! There may be spoilers ahead. (Though I’ll try to keep the specifics as vague as possible.)
CHAPTER 04 (Intonation, Honorless, Vagrant, Unblooded – Entries 12-20 of Executioner)
After retrieving missing tomes from various places around Skyrim (one of which being a giant’s camp) Arden confronts Ancano about their shared past, tracks down the Augur of Dunlain, and fights his way through the ruins of Mzulft. When he emerges and returns to Winterhold, he finds Ancano trying to unlock the power of the Eye of Magnus. After dealing with the anomalies let loose by Ancano’s tampering, he leaves for Labyrinthian to track down the Staff of Magnus, held by the Dragon Priest Morokei, only to be intercepted by a Thalmor Agent, sent by Ancano to kill him. That agent was carrying a copy of Arden’s Thalmor Dossier, which brought to light things which Arden wasn’t prepared to know. When he finally returns with the Staff of Magnus, he finds the College being held captive, and has to kill the man he used to love.
Zaytest finds one of Ingrath’s old friends waiting for her at the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, and subsequently has a chat with him about it. Afterward, she and Inigo take out the bandits at Raldbthar and on the way back to Riften, Inigo starts to have headaches and mysterious visions. After checking back in with the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood, the khajiits get waylaid by a pack of werewolves. Thankfully, the Dragonborn was coming south (and getting lost) along the same road, and managed to get to them before Zaytest bled out. Once healed up, the team continued to Solitude, where Zaytest found Brynjolf’s contact Gulum-ei and proceeded to track him down and corner him. After pulling off a very lucky assassination, she and Inigo track down the source of his headaches, get sent on a wild egg hunt, and learn about the Doom Strider. After learning more about his weirdness, she and Inigo talk about their shared past, and she formally forgives him for shooting her. They encounter all kinds of friction on the rocky road to Riften, and even more when they arrive. Zaytest leaves Inigo behind, and follows Mercer Frey into a trap… for her.
Kinua continues to have visions, one of which sends her on a pilgrimage to shrines around Skyrim. Once she finds the first, she travels into the Reach in search of the second, begins to hear flashbacks of battles, and meets a ghost that calls her “Hjalti.” After returning his sword, she heads back south, and takes out a pack of werewolves on the way. After saving a khajiit’s life, she has another talk with her brother, she continues on her mission, tracking down another shrine at Faldar’s Tooth, only to find an injured vampire as well. She finds the fourth shrine on a sunken ship and nearly freezes to death trying to get to it. In her near-death state she has more visions, ending in her finding the last shrine – the shrine of Pelinal Whitestrake. Whilst trying to figure them out, she finds that the people of Dawnstar are also having strange, dream-related things happen, and decides to help. However, the Torpor of Vaermina ends up having some odd effects on the Dragonborn, showing her not just the past, but the present as well.
Meanwhile in Falskaar, Jarnvida arrives in Amber Creek, not entirely sure what to make of the whole situation. She investigates Bailun Priory and saves some captives at the docks, then heads north to Mammoth Keep after clearing out the Borvald Armory. After reporting her findings, she meets the Brothers Hjorgunnar, as well as the Jarl of Staalgarde. Things do not go as planned when she reports to Borvald to warn Jarl Valfred, and on her way to Kalrun Monastery she has her first unfortunate night with the beast blood. After recovering the key from the monastery, she and the others convene to discuss their next move. Jarnvida fights her way through Vizemundsted, and finally dons Skjor’s old armor when she returns to find a nasty surprise at Amber Creek. She and the others rescue Angar’s wife and children from Fort Urokk, only to be waylaid outside the gates by Yngvarr and his men. Having thoroughly had enough of Yngvarr’s bull, Jarnvida helps clear the path, and the Battle of Staalgarde commences.
Along the way, Ingrath gets sent after a problematic mage and Endarie the mercer. Determined to get to the bottom of Mephala’s taunting, he returns to the old Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary in Bruma to speak with her. Once confirming that he isn’t insane, Ingrath infiltrates the Falkreath Sanctuary to speak with an old friend, and winds up finding a Dawngard patrol on his way back to Redwater Den. After having his wounds tended by a very nervous Dragonborn, he reports back to Dominique, who gives him a very uncomfortable contract… one that he eventually completes, his way. On the way out of Riften, however, Dominique comes to him with news about Zaytest – and they dash out to save her, together.
DAWNBREAKERS (All stories continue together.)
Entries 1-9 – Following the aftermath of Snow Veil Sanctum, Ingrath recruits Kinua to help heal Zaytest from Karliah’s poison, and the two of them get to know each other better. Once Zaytest wakes up, she and Ingrath catch up, and the two of them talk with the Archmage about Gallus’s old journal. While Zaytest speaks to Karliah and Enthir, Arden and Ingrath have an accidental heart-to-heart, and agree to team up in search of an ancient vampire artifact. Said artifact ends up being woman named Serana, who they escort back to her home. Meanwhile, Jarnvida returns to Skyrim and has another strange night, before taking the fight to the Silver Hand, despite a few horse issues along the way. In Solitude, Kinua reaches the end of her pilgrimage, and begins to question her sanity, while Arden questions his decisions.
Entries 10-17 – Kodlak sends Jarnvida out for Glenmoril Witch heads, Kinua has more visions and does perhaps the worst job of infiltrating the Thalmor Embassy, and Ingrath assassinates Vittoria Vicci and has a bit of a panic attack on his way out. Zaytest has a nightmare about Mercer stabbing her, hears about the assassination, and confronts the Thieves’ Guild. Meanwhile, Arden meets the mysterious Dominique Gold, then heads to Dawnstar, where Ingrath finds the not-quite-abandoned Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. On his way back east, Ingrath gets wind of a fight between the Silver Hand and the Companions, and joins Jarnvida to help take them out.
JANUARY RECAP
Entry 18 – In Riften, Kinua and Zaytest team up to explore the Ratway Warrens and track down the elusive Esbern. He and Kinua discuss the coming of Alduin, and what it means for her to be Dragonborn. Kinua bids Zaytest farewell, and two sneaky khajiit do their own infiltration, this time of Mercer Frey’s manor.
Entry 19 – While waiting for Ingrath in Dragon Bridge, Arden receives a letter from Loptir, an old friend of his from the College of Whispers. Ingrath hears a strange voice, and asks Arden about it when he arrives. The two of them and Serana head out to track down a moth priest, and hear the first part of the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy, before realizing they’ll need two more Elder Scrolls for the rest. They agree to split up, and Arden heads for Winterhold.
Entry 20 – Ingrath and Serana dig through the old, skeleton-infested back entrance to Castle Volkihar in search for Valerica and her Elder Scroll. They end up talking about family, childhoods, and necromancy, and Ingrath remembers a few snippets of conversation with his mother, and his old family in the Brotherhood.
Entry 21 – Jarnvida and Vilkas return for Kodlak’s funeral, and the old Skaal pays her respects to the old man. The Circle convenes to figure out their next move, and Eorland reforges Wuuthrad, in order to unlock Ysgrammor’s tomb. On her way to do just that, Jarnvida considers her legacy, her family, and what it means to her to have – and have a potential cure for – the Beast Blood.
That was a long one! I promise the next one won’t be nearly as bad, since it’ll be just the monthly recap, rather than the whole Story So Far. I will link back to this page in the future as reference, however.
Join us next month to watch Kinua bring the thunder to a Forsworn camp, Zaytest doing sneakier things than usual, Arden having a chat with a madman, and Ingrath trying to navigate the sheer, crushing despair of the Soul Cairn.